Reddit Users Donate More Than $16,000 for Metalhead Who Received Guitar From Late Father; Alice Cooper Guitarist Offers Backstage Passes

Remember the viral video of 16-year-old Johnny Crow receiving a guitar from his late father that emerged last week? After the video received tens of millions of views, the Reddit community raised over $16,000 for Johnny, while Alice Cooper guitarist Nita Strauss arranged for the teen to meet Cooper at an upcoming show.

Before Johnny’s father passed away, he had arranged for a special 16th birthday gift — a Dean Razorback guitar. After laying eyes on his father’s present, Johnny wept, with the video of the moment made countless others cry once it was posted online. After Reddit became one of the most popular sources for people to discover the video, the owner of the music store shared an email so people could donate cash to help pay for Johnny’s lessons, strings and more. As of June 8, an incredible $16,250.45 was in the account.

Finally, Nita Strauss posted on Reddit sharing she had arranged for Johnny to meet Alice Cooper:

Hey guys, Nita from Alice Cooper here.
Just messaged /u/Pete_Kruse to let him know that I'll take care of passes for John to come backstage and say hi to Alice and the band at our show. I watched this video a bunch of times earlier today before I even knew he was coming to a show, and sent it to a bunch of guitar player friends... such an amazing moment!! Can't wait to meet John and the family!! <3

Though the pain of losing a parent is immeasurable, we hope the generosity of those online has helped bring some joy to Johnny. If you’d like to contribute to the fundraising money for Johnny, head over to Reddit.